Strep and Scarlet

I took Dean to his follow up appointment with the ENT yesterday. He has healed up nicely and the doc says he can pretty much eat whatever he wants. Which is good because we've pretty much been letting him eat whatever he wants. Jack was with us because he still had wicked swollen glands and I figured it was time to get him checked out. Sure enough, he has strep throat. Boy that kid is stoic. He knew he was going to have to get a throat culture, knew he'd hate it but he just sat there and let the doctor do it. He's had 4 throat cultures in the last 2 years and this was the first that came back positive. I was stunned. He just never seems as sick as he is. We filled his prescription (amoxycillin) and gave him his first dose in the afternoon. Two hours later he was complaining of feeling itchy and big red splotches started showing up on his face, his arms, his torso. My first thought was that he's allergic to penicillin. Makes sense, right? Dean is, why not Jack. I called the doctor and he agreed that might be the issue so he called in Zithromax. I gave Jack some benadryl to ease the itching and then gave him his first dose of Zithromax this morning. He was much better today, lots of energy, throat is feeling better. I planned on him going back to school tomorrow. He started complaining of feeling a little itchy at around 6:30 tonight (about the same time as last night). By 7:15 he was covered in angry red splotches and little bumps. I got a different on call doctor this time and she said that sometimes strep throat patients can develop scarlet fever. She told me to give him benadryl tonight, give him the zithromax early in the morning tomorrow and bring him into the office so they could check him out. So, he'll be out one more day.

The bright side of this illness is that the break has been good for the boys. I mean, it hasn't been great for me to be out of work this much or for Jack to miss this much school but it's good because the boys are missing each other. And that makes them so happy to see each other at the end of the day. They play together better and there's a lot less fighting.

I just finished reading 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt and now I need to find someone who has read it so I can discuss it with them. It's interesting and rich, so elegantly written that it seems like it was written a century ago rather than 20 years ago. And then to find out that the author was 28 when it was published! I wish I could write like that. Towards the end of the book she writes, "Though Julian could be marvelously kind in difficult circumstances of all sorts, I sometimes got the feeling that he was less pleased by kindness itself than by the elegance of the gesture." I love that line.

I haven't been keeping up with my weekly menu plan but since I've been home all week, it's been pretty easy to put dinners together. Since the boys were sick on Monday I made homemade chicken and rice soup and that fed us Tuesday night, as well. Jack wanted tuna noodle casserole for dinner last night so that was easy. Dinner tonight was angel hair pomodoro and tomato and avocado salad. It was delicious and really easy and really quick. Here's the recipe for the pasta:

Angel Hair Pomodoro

1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 c white wine
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 T tomato paste
handful of fresh basil, coarsely chopped
1 T butter
Angel hair pasta, cooked al dente and drained
salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and let cook for about a minute. Add the white wine, let cook another minute, then add the tomatoes with juice. Let simmer on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occcasionally until the sauce has reduced and thickened a bit. Stir in the tomato paste. Remove from heat and stir in the basil and butter. As soon as the butter has melted, add the cooked pasta tossing to coat evenly. Serve immediately.
Serves 2 with hearty appetites.

Menu 3/9-3/13

Monday Night
Fish Chowder

Tuesday Night
Baked Penne Pasta with Chicken, Mushrooms & Sun Dried Tomatoes

Wednesday Night
Leftovers

Thursday Night
Pork Tacos
Chips 'n Salsa
Avocado Salad

Friday Night
Leftovers

Here is how I planned it. On Sunday night I made the fish stock for the chowder. That way when I got home on Monday I just had to cook the vegetables (onion, garlic, celery, potatoes, corn) and the fish. It took less than 30 minutes. Then, after the boys were in bed, I made the penne pasta so tonight I just have to bake it in the oven to warm it up and brown the top. Also, I made enough for two dinners (plus lots of leftovers) and I froze one. So next week or the week after that I can bake it from frozen. The tacos are super easy. I'll just put some pork in the crock pot on Thursday morning with some onion and garlic and then it will be ready to shred when I get home that night. I have sparring class Friday night but there will be plenty of pork leftover for the boys to make more tacos. There was just enough chowder left over for Tom and I to have for lunch today and there will be plenty of penne left over for us for the rest of the week.

Here's the recipe for the Fish Chowder:

1 C diced pancetta (bacon works well, too)
1 small onion, diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 lb fish fillets (cod or halibut works best but I used flounder in this recipe)
3 C fish stock
4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 C frozen yellow corn
1 C heavy cream
Dash or two of Tapatio or hot sauce
1 T butter
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large heavy pot over medium heat cook the pancetta (bacon) until crispy. Remove to a plate w/ paper towels to drain grease. Add the onion, celery and garlic to the pot. Cook until translucent - about 5 minutes. Lay the fillets on top of the vegetables, put a lid on the pot and cook until opaque, turning over halfway through. Remove the fish to a plate and keep warm. Add the fish stock to the pot then the potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are soft but not mushy - about 10 minutes. While it's simmering, flake the fish into chunks. When the potatoes are soft, add the corn, fish, and heavy cream and let simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the hot sauce and the butter and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty sourdough bread and butter. Serves 4.

Fish Stock
1 Small onion, quartered
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, washed and coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
fish heads and tails (4 each - ask for it at the fish counter - I didn't even have to pay for it)
salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients except for salt and pepper in a small stockpot and cover with water. Add salt and pepper and let simmer over a low heat for an hour or so. Let cool and then strain into a container for storage. Makes about 3 cups.

Killer Shrimp

Back when we had disposable income and late bedtimes, we used to have dinner at this place called "Killer Shrimp". There were three things on the menu: Shrimp in broth with bread, shrimp in broth with angel hair or shrimp in broth with rice. We always ordered it with bread only. The broth was spicy and pungent with rosemary. We had to peel the shrimp so our fingers got greasy and hot but we didn't care at all because the broth was so good, even if we had to wipe the sweat from our foreheads every now and then.

Last night I attempted a homemade version of Killer Shrimp. We didn't have bread so I served it over angel hair. It didn't have the same heat as the original but I couldn't make it too spicy or the boys wouldn't be able to eat it. I'll be tweaking it a bit over time but for a first attempt, it was pretty darn close.

Killer Shrimp
Bag of Frozen Shrimp, defrosted (I get the kind that's already peeled and deveined but not cooked)
1 T Olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C chicken stock
1/4 t rosemary
1/8 t basil
1/8 t thyme
1/4 t crushed red pepper
1 small lemon juiced
1 T fish sauce
2 T butter
Angel Hair Pasta

Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the shrimp in batches and cook until opaque - just a couple of minutes on each side. Remove to a bowl. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, stir in the chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Combine all the herbs in a mortar and pestle and crush together. Add the herbs to the pot and let simmer. Add the fish sauce then the shrimp with the accumulated juices. Swirl in the butter. Cook the angel hair according to package directions. To serve, pile the pasta in the bottom of a bowl, add some shrimp and a ladle of broth.

The next time I make this I want to have white wine to add to the broth and fish stock instead of chicken broth and fish sauce. And I would add more crushed red pepper if I wasn't serving this to the boys. I'm going to continue to tweak this and see if I can get it even closer to the original.

Belt Testing and Bonus Lasagna Recipe!

I passed my test so now I’m an orange stripe belt. Woo hoo!

No trophy this time (the boys were disappointed) but I felt good about my test. Besides, what would I do with a trophy? I need to save room for my gold medals from my upcoming tournament, right? HA!

To celebrate, I made lasagna for dinner last night. I don’t actually think it started out as a celebratory lasagna but it’s what Tom suggested and it sounded good and it’ll feed us for the next 2 days so, why not? And, was it good. So, so good. I kept making delicious noises as I plowed through it. I just had it for lunch and I made delicious noises then too which must seem strange to the people who walk by my open door.

Bygones.

Now that I’ve prattled on about the mmm soo good lasagna . . . here’s the recipe:

1 lb ground beef
3 mild-medium Italian sausage links
½ cup diced pancetta
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
2 16 oz. jars your favorite tomato sauce (I like Newman’s Own)
2 pinches of dried oregano - divided
2 pinches of dried basil - divided
12 lasagna noodles cooked according to package directions
1 15 oz. package ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella – divided
2 eggs
2 cups béchamel (usually I make my own but this time I substituted with Aunt Penny’s White sauce doctored with a little freshly grated parmesan cheese)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brown the beef in a cast iron pot or dutch oven, remove and let drain in a bowl lined with a paper towel. Remove the casing from the sausage links, brown in the pot, remove and add to browned beef. Cook the pancetta in the pot until browned and crispy, add the onion and carrots and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or so. Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits. Add the browned beef and sausage back to the pot and pour in the 2 jars of tomato sauce. Stir together, add a pinch of oregano and a pinch of basil. Let simmer on low.

In a separate large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of shredded mozzarella, and 2 eggs. Add a pinch of oregano and a pinch of basil. Mix thoroughly.

In a 9x13 greased dish, spread a cup of meat sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place a layer of lasagna noodles on top, slightly overlapping the layers. Spread half of the ricotta mixture on top of the noodles. Add a layer of meat sauce on top of the ricotta mixture. Drizzle some béchamel sauce on top of the meat. Add another layer of noodles and repeat the layering: first the ricotta mixture, then the meat sauce, then the drizzle of béchamel. Add a final layer of noodles, top with the remainder béchamel sauce. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup of shredded mozzarella on top. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes after before serving. Serves 6-8 people.

Homemade Bechamel Sauce
¼ C butter
¼ C flour
2 cups milk (warmed in the microwave)
Grated nutmeg to taste
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the flour and cook until it has a nutty aroma. Whisk in the milk and stir until it becomes thick (place a spoon in the sauce, remove it and run your fingernail down the back of the spoon – if it leaves a neat line, the sauce is at the right thickness). Add the freshly grated nutmeg (about ¼ teaspoon), pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Makes about 2 cups.

A New Habit

We've started a new habit here at casa de twins and that is to publish a weekly dinner menu for the family. This means that every weekend (usually on Saturday) Tom and I choose the menu for the week and then I do the shopping. The goal is to get our grocery bill down to $150 per week (we're almost there) and to throw away less food every week. We only buy for the menu and for lunches for the boys. We started it a few weeks ago and the result has been much less stress each night, yummy food and less waste. A success any way you look at it.
So, our menu for this week is:
Mon - Chicken Marsala (recipe at the end) with mashed potatoes and salad
Tues - Tortilla soup with tomato and avocado salad
Wed - Leftovers
Thurs - Cauliflower soup and salad
Fri - Sandwich night

I made the Chicken Marsala and the tortilla soup on Sunday afternoon. Monday night I just had to reheat the chicken, boil and mash the potatoes and toss the salad.
Cauliflower soup is really quick and easy and I'm going to garnish it with crispy bacon. I'll cook extra bacon so we can have bacon and egg sandwiches on Friday night. Easy menu, inexpensive ingredients and quick to prepare.

Chicken Marsala
olive oil
8 chicken thighs (can be bone in or not, skinless or not)
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
marsala wine
white wine
1 8oz package of cremini mushrooms (white buttons are fine if it's all you have), sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Swirl a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven, add chicken thighs and cook until browned. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside. Pour off the excess fat. Add the sliced onions to the pot and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds or so. Deglaze the pot with 2 cups of marsala wine scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add a 1/2 to 1 cup of white wine and let simmer for 10 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms and add the chicken back to the pot along with the accumulated juices. Put it in the oven and let it cook for 30 minutes.
The chicken will be super tender, there will be a sweet and earthy sauce, and the mushrooms and onions will taste divine. Served over creamy mashed potatoes, this will become one of your favorite comfort foods.

Moroccan Chicken

I checked the freezer - 2 packages of chicken legs left. I decided to coat them in salt, pepper, thyme and lemon zest, brown them in the cast iron pot, deglaze the pan with a pile of onions and 2 cups of white wine, add some fresh lemon juice and crushed garlic, plop the chicken legs back in the pot and pop it in the oven to cook for another 45 minutes. While that cooked I got some rice going. Then I chopped up some romaine, shredded some carrots, and tossed it all together with some raisins and candied almonds. I whisked up a quick honey mustard dressing and drizzled it on top.
I added a handful of kalamata olives, spanish green olives, and capers to the chicken mixture for the last 10 minutes of cooking time.

I wish I had taken a picture. Mmmm, it was good.

Cauliflower Soup

Adapted from the Silky Cauliflower Soup by the Smitten Kitchen



Ingredients:
2 T Olive Oil
Small onion, chopped
2 Cloves garlic, minced
4 1/2 Cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 Potato, peeled and cut in 1" cubes
Head of cauliflower, stalk and leaves removed, coarsely chopped
3/4 Cup of milk, heated
1/2 Cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and garlic until soft, not browned - about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add potato and let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add cauliflower, bring heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. You can also puree in batches in a blender of food processor but let the soup cool first. Stir in heated milk and parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Saucy

I went to a sauce class on Tuesday night. This was the second class that I took from the gift certificate that Tom gave me for my birthday. She showed us how to make a compound butter, veloute, vinaigrette, bechamel, reduction sauce, and a creme anglais flavored with coffee beans. I went home from that class feeling totally inspired. Wednesday night I made corn chowder with crispy pancetta and golden shrimp for dinner. Okay, seriously it was so amazingly good. Then Thursday night I made cream of mushroom soup and tonight was Pasta al Forno (fancy way of saying mac and cheese). But the best was the corn chowder. Soooooo good. Here's the recipe:

1 T. canola oil
small onion, diced
1/2 C. cubed pancetta (or bacon)
3 T. butter (divided)
2 T. flour
2 C. chicken stock
16 oz. frozen white corn (w/ 1/4 c. reserved)
1 C. milk
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
Tapatio or Tabasco Sauce
salt and pepper

In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, add the oil, onion and pancetta. Cook until onion is translucent and pancetta is browned. Add 2 T. butter and cook over medium heat until the butter is melted and sizzling (do not let it burn). Add the flour, whisking constantly until it begins to have a nutty aroma - about 3 minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock. Stir in the corn (except for 1/4 cup) and bring soup to a simmer for 5 minutes or so. Stir in the milk and simmer for another 5-10 minutes. In a separate skillet, melt 1 T. butter and cook the shrimp 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove the shrimp to a clean bowl after it turns a light pink, add the 1/4 cup reserved corn to the skillet and saute for 2 minutes. Chop the shrimp into small pieces and add with the reserved corn to the chowder. Add a couple of dashes of tapatio or tabasco and salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a green salad and crusty bread. Serves 2.

Calamari Sauce

Once upon a time I was a waitress in an Italian restaurant which is where I met my friend Geri. We spent a lot of time complaining about bad tippers, sneaking looks at the good looking boys, and disappearing into the alley to have smoke breaks at every available opportunity. One year the owners decided to bring in a new chef and revamp the menu. Geri fell in love with the new sauce that came with the Fried Calamari. An obsession was born! The recipe is below along with an excerpt from the email that accompanied it. Enjoy!

I just had to scan the actual recipe card for you. Because you know a recipe with a provenance is always more interesting. So this recipe originally came from Mi P____ Mary Beth wrote it down for me, probably about the time I was living in the "fishing cabin" in Pasadena. From there it came with me to Silverlake. and then I lost track of it. I moved to Alhambra. Then last year I moved to San Diego and there in a box full of kitchen gadgets, I found it.....dusty, coffee stained, yellowed, Hallelujah! and now it has a place of honor, magnetized to the refrigerator. The actual card has been around almost 15 years. The recipe doesn't give directions on how to prepare the ingredients so I'll just say "Chop everything up finely and mix it together" Voila!
I remember being just MAD about his sauce so consequently found out its also good on fish or chicken or with shrimp as an alternative to cocktail sauce. Also you can mix it with black beans, corn and tomatoes for a light side dish/salad AND THEN, if you have a little left over you can add mayo to it and it becomes a completely different (but still delicious) sauce, or dip for veggies or chips etc.
Geez good thing I got over this obsession huh? Hee hee.
Love,
Geri

Comfort Food

I promised I'd post the recipe for the homemade Mac 'n Cheese so here it is:

Ingredients:
8 T. butter (reserve 2 T. for topping)
6 T. all-purpose flour
3 3/4 C. warm milk
salt and pepper
4 C. shredded cheese (I used 2 cups fontina, 1 cup parmeggiano reggiano, 1 cup aged monterey jack but sharp cheddar works, too)
1 lb. cooked macaroni
1 sleeve Ritz Crackers

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 6 T. butter over medium-low heat in a large pot. Add the flour and stir constantly for about 4 minutes. It should look foamy; that will ensure that the flour gets cooked. Whisking constantly, add the warm milk about 1/2 cup at a time. Add a pinch of salt and some fresh ground pepper. Add 2 cups of the cheese and stir until completely melted. In a large pot or bowl, combine the cooked pasta and the cheese sauce and toss. In a buttered casserole dish, alternate pasta and sauce with reserved shredded cheese in 3-4 layers. Top with crumbled Ritz crackers and dot with reserved 2 T. butter. Bake in oven for 20-30 minutes until bubbly and brown on top.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Dessert

With Thanksgiving approaching faster than you can say Holy Turkey Batman!, I thought it would be nice to share a Pumpkin Dessert recipe courtesy of my Momma. Enjoy!

I don't have a name for this dessert but it's a great alternative to pumpkin pie. It's quick and easy and people absolutely rave about it.

Can of Pumpkin (29 oz)
3 eggs
12 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 1/2 C. Sugar
1 t. cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t. ground clove

Blend above ingredients, pour into 9x13 pan sprayed with Pam.

1 box Yellow Cake Mix
1 C. melted butter (or margarine)
1 C. chopped pecans

Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin mixture followed by nuts. Then drizzle melted butter over entire mixture.

Bake 50-55 min. (or until slightly browned) in 350 oven.

Of course serve with whipped cream: Cool Whip or Redi-Whip is acceptable but I prefer the real thing.

1 lg. carton Heavy Whipping Cream (dairy section)
1 t. vanilla flavoring
Sugar to taste

First whip cream until thickened in chilled glass or stainless bowl using chilled beaters.
Add vanilla and sugar, continue whipping to desired thickness. From high peaks to clotted cream - your choice.

Enjoy!

Momma

Chicken Tagine

This recipe came to me by my friend Jeanne. She says that it's a favorite in her house and even the kids like it!
Thanks Jeanne! Miss you!


Chicken Tagine with Pine-nut Couscous (Sunset Magazine, March 2007)


Most people think of traditional Moroccan tagines as being long-simmered lamb dishes. When prepared with quick-cooking chicken thighs, they're actually relatively fast to make. Fragrant spices give this dish vibrant layers of flavor, and the cooked-down dried fruits create a silken richness. Prep and Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.


2 tablespoons olive oil
6 bone-in chicken thighs (with skin)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 small dried red chiles, such as arbol
1 teaspoon salt
15 dried apricots, halved
15 pitted prunes, halved
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
5 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs plus 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1 1/2 cups couscous
1/4 cup lightly toasted pine nuts
1 teaspoon grated fresh lemon zest

1. Heat oil in a 6- to 8-qt. heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn over and cook 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining chicken and set aside.

2. Drain all but 2 tbsp. oil from pot and reduce heat to medium. Add onion and sauté until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, black pepper, cardamom pods, chiles, and salt and stir to combine. Return chicken to pot and add apricots, prunes, 2 cups chicken broth, and parsley sprigs. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 40 minutes. Take pot off heat and remove parsley sprigs and chiles. Remove skin from chicken.

3. In a covered medium saucepan, bring remaining 2 cups chicken broth to a boil. Turn off heat, stir in couscous, cover, and let sit 5 minutes. Uncover pan and fluff couscous with a fork. Stir in 2 tbsp. minced parsley, pine nuts, and lemon zest and toss to combine. Mound couscous on a platter. Top with chicken thighs and pour sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp. parsley.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.


Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings

CALORIES 793 (40% from fat); FAT 35g (sat 8.5g); PROTEIN 46g; CHOLESTEROL 124mg; SODIUM 1043mg; FIBER 6.2g; CARBOHYDRATE 75g

Sunset, MARCH 2007

Pizza Party

Dean's pizza had a pesto base (fresh basil, parmesan cheese, toasted pine nuts, garlic and olive oil) with three cheeses: fontina, mozzarella and parmesan and a sprinkle of dried oregano on top. Baked in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. It was delicious.


Jack's pizza was a marinara base (jar of Newman's own Garlic and Basil marinara) with three cheeses: fontina, mozzarella and parmesan with dried oregano sprinkled on top. Also baked in a 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. It was also delicious.

Cauliflower Au Gratin and so much more

These recipes are courtesy of my brother, Chad. In my dream world we would live close enough to one another that we could collaborate on dinners together. He would be dancing around the kitchen, singing a goofy tune and taking long gulps from his Guinness - all the while effortlessly throwing together a delicious meal. I would be sitting back, taking notes.

one word: Cauliflower Au Gratin
simple, hearty vegetable side dish popular in southern France.

1 head of cauliflower.
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups hot milk
4 ounces cubed Gruyere (or Swiss) cheese
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Mornay Sauce:
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Add flour and cook slowly for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. The mixture should get foamy or frothy but not brown. Add the hot milk and whisk vigorously until smooth. Season and return to the heat and boil for about 1 minute over medium high heat. Remove from heat, add cheese and stir until incorporated completely. Makes about 2 1/4 cup.

Cauliflower:
Cut a head of cauliflower into florets. Steam until it falls apart, drain. Mash cauliflower in a casserole dish and sitr in Mornay Sauce. Sprinkle shredded parmesan and crisp under a broiler for 2-3 minutes.


two more words: Cazuela de Cabra
Warm tomato and goat cheese tappas dish (or appetizer) popular in Spain.

6 medium juicy tomatoes
1/3 c. dried basil - (or 1/4 c. fresh minced basil)
3/4 stick unsalted butter, cut into pats
8 oz plain white goat cheese, softened and mixed with 1/4 c. dried chervil
1 loaf crusty french bread, cut on the bias into 1/2 inch slices
1 small jar prepared pesto

Tomato basil beurre-blanc sauce:
Blanch tomatoes in a heavy sauce pan for about 1 minute (until skins become loose). Drain tomatoes and shock with ice, remove skins and return to heavy sauce pan
Add basil (if dried, wait if fresh) and cook over medium heat, about 10 minutes or until tomatoes have broken down - remove from heat (if you're using fresh basil, add it now). Wisk in pats of butter until it is all incorporated, and the sauce turns from reddish to pinkish.

Pesto toast:
Brush bread with pesto and flash under a broiler until crisp

Final prep:
Place cheese/herb blend in a mound in the middle a gratin, or shallow casserole dish. Pour tomato basil beurre-blanc sauce around the perimeter of the cheese mound (like a moat). Broil for 2 minutes, serve with pesto toast.

Rustic Mediterranean Chicken

Rustic Mediterranean Chicken Accompanied by Roasted Brussel Sprouts (serves 2)

Mediterranean Chicken

2 T. Olive Oil
2 Skinless/Boneless Chicken Breasts
Small Yellow Onion, coarsely chopped
1 Garlic clove, minced
½ C. White Wine
1 Can Diced Tomatoes
1 C. Chicken Broth
½ C. Pitted Kalamata Olives
1 T. Capers
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme


Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts, season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken breasts on both sides then remove and hold on a plate. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute or so. Lower the heat to med-low, add the white wine and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the canned tomatoes, including juice followed by the chicken broth. Let reduce for 5 minutes then add the chicken breasts back into the pot. Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add olives and capers, oregano and thyme. Simmer another 5 minutes. Sauce should be fragrant and thick.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

¼ C. Olive Oil
1 lb. Brussel Sprouts (with outer leaves removed)
6 Pearl Onions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cookie sheet w/ aluminum foil.
Rinse brussel sprouts and pat dry. Spread the brussel sprouts and pearl onions on the cookie sheet, season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Pour the olive oil over the vegetables. Toss with your hands until the vegetables are all well-coated with oil. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes.


Serve with Basmati rice, if desired.